To answer the two main research questions stated in the introduction we conducted a multiple-case study [1]} of 4 online hackathons. This approach is reasonable because it allows us to study a new phenomenon – teams collaborating during online hackathons – that has not been observable before in the context it occurs and draw insights about “how" it takes place [2]}. Focusing on teams as the unit of analysis we draw on Olson and Olson's seminal work on distributed teamwork [3]} as a theoretical foundation (section REF ). This approach allows us to focus on studying how teams collaborate in an online environment (RQ\(_{\ref {RQ1}}\) ) and how the surrounding organization – in our case the design of the event a team participates in – can affect their collaboration (RQ\(_{\ref {RQ2}}\) ).
